Teach yourself to play piano or keyboard?

[EllenFrasier]

We have a keyboard with a piano option and I would love to learn how to play. I don't want to go take lessons though. Is there a program out there to teach yourself how to play?

 

[wbeem]

There are programs. There are video lessons on YouTube. Just go to Google and type in "Learn Piano" and you'll see many options.

 

[jmac323]

Agree with above post. My mom has already taught herself several songs and the chords just by watching you tube videos.

 

[dreamin_disney]

We got dd a keyboard. I will tell her to look up the youtube videos. Thanks for posting this

 

[cornflake]

You may find books or videos and learn a bit but if you really want to actually learn how to play, you need a teacher and lessons.

It's like trying to learn a foreign language just with a book - there are things you can get from it but (and piano is worse this way), without the feedback and subtlties and things that only someone else who knows what they're looking at or hearing watching and listening, it's not going to work.

I'd also caution if you really want to learn because it's very, very easy to get into bad habits with the way you hold your hands, and stuff like that, that a teacher just wouldn't let happen, that you won't notice on your own.

You can learn to read music, and such but as for things like HOW to play, speed, emotion, position, etc., etc.... there's a reason even pianists who have been playing a decade take lessons. Same as trying to learn Greek from a book, you might pick up some stuff but you're not going to be able to go from a book to wandering over to a Greek person and conversing, because you need a teacher who can guide and correct the subtlties you can't hear and don't know about.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

A possible compromise for you. My mom found her town rec dept offered group key board lessons (similar to, say, group clarinet lessons kids do in school.) Each person had their own keyboard and wore headphones. The instructor could hear each of them and give feedback, but each person wasn't trying to play listening to each other.

She's certainly no great pianist now, but she liked that she could learn and it was less expensive and more social.

Something to see if your town might offer?

 

[Plantlady]

My husband has this book:

Alfred's Adult All-In-One Course


It teaches theory along with reading. It gave him a very good foundation.

Now he has switched to lessons, given to him by my 94 year old grandma (who is a professional piano teacher). But, the book was a good starting place.

 

[KennesawNemo]

You may find books or videos and learn a bit but if you really want to actually learn how to play, you need a teacher and lessons.

It's like trying to learn a foreign language just with a book - there are things you can get from it but (and piano is worse this way), without the feedback and subtlties and things that only someone else who knows what they're looking at or hearing watching and listening, it's not going to work.

I'd also caution if you really want to learn because it's very, very easy to get into bad habits with the way you hold your hands, and stuff like that, that a teacher just wouldn't let happen, that you won't notice on your own.

You can learn to read music, and such but as for things like HOW to play, speed, emotion, position, etc., etc.... there's a reason even pianists who have been playing a decade take lessons. Same as trying to learn Greek from a book, you might pick up some stuff but you're not going to be able to go from a book to wandering over to a Greek person and conversing, because you need a teacher who can guide and correct the subtlties you can't hear and don't know about.

Stronly agree with this post.

If you are serious about learning, better start with a teacher. Bad habits are so easy to get into and so hard to break.

That being said, if you just want to learn some music and play for fun, there are a lot of resources out there. I have even see in store a device like a game console that you can hooked onto your keyboard and play it as if you are playing Just Dance on Wii.